Review: Naomi Novik's Magic Math Actually Makes Sense

One sign something is terribly wrong with a society is when students emerge from its elite education institutions damaged and confused—if they make it through at all. In the third installment of her best-selling Scholomance trilogy, The Golden Enclaves, Naomi Novik sends Galadriel "El" Higgins, her protagonist from A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate,...

2w

Brickbat: Don't Ever Take Sides Against the Family

Poulsbo, Washington, city prosecutor Alexis Foster resigned following a no confidence vote from the union representing the city's police officers as well as criticism from the city's police chief and mayor. Foster's sin? She informed a court that a protection order request to seize a gun from a woman that had been filed by a city police officer contained...

2w

Why Does Justice Kavanaugh Write Concurrences?

On Monday, Justice Kavanaugh spoke at Notre Dame Law School. I've transcribed his remarks. At the 38:20 mark, Dean Cole asked, somewhat in jest, if NCAA v. Alston would extend to law review editors. Dean Cole: So since you're using sports analogies, next question is, do you think your concurrence in NCAA versus Alston could cover fields and bodies...

2w

UC's National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement $20K Non-Residential Fellowships

The Center is accepting applications until March 10; check out the details here. (I'm one of the Advisory Board members.) An excerpt: Each year, the Center selects Fellows from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds such as law, journalism, higher education, social science, technology and government. Fellows receive funding to conduct research...

2w

Justice Kavanaugh on Major Questions, Chevron, and US News Rankings

Earlier this week, the Notre Dame Law Review hosted its annual Federal Courts symposium (which results in an annual federal courts issue of the journal). The keynote of the event was a question-and-answer session with Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, moderated by Notre Dame Dean Marcus Cole. During the session, Justice Kavanaugh discussed multiple...

2w

Yale Law School Program with Kristin Waggoner (ADF), Nadine Strossen (ex-ACLU), and Robert Post (Former Dean)

David Lat (Original Jurisdiction) reports; an excerpt, though if you're interested in the subject you should read the whole thing: Last October, I wondered whether Yale Law School, which experienced a series of scandals relating to free speech last year, might be turning over a new leaf. The YLS administration announced several concrete steps to protect...

2w

Rep. Adam Schiff Seeks Dianne Feinstein's Senate Seat

California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff announced today he's going to be running for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat in 2024, a declaration made slightly awkward by the fact that she has not yet announced plans to retire. Feinstein, 89, has been serving in the Senate since 1992. (She's part of America's stagnant gerontocracy.) Some California...

2w

A Historic Refugee Crisis Miscast As a Border Emergency

President Joe Biden's administration has made mistakes on immigration policy, but not the ones its critics think. Recent actions, including a parole program for individuals from four countries, are promising and can help overcome the administration's twin errors: failing to frame the situation at the border as a refugee crisis and continuing some of...

2w

Louisiana Keeps Over a Quarter of Inmates Detained Past Their Release Dates, DOJ Investigation Finds

A Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation has revealed that Louisiana prisons and jails routinely incarcerate inmates well past their release dates. This practice is in violation of inmates' 14th Amendment rights, and it's costing state taxpayers an estimated $2.5 million each year. The DOJ has been investigating Louisiana's well-documented habit...

2w

A Federal Judge Blocks California's Ban on Medical Advice That Promotes COVID-19 'Misinformation'

On Wednesday night, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against a new California law that makes physicians subject to professional discipline for sharing COVID-19 "misinformation" with their patients. U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb concluded that California's definition of misinformation is unconstitutionally vague, failing to give...

2w